AIR Launches AI in Education Network to Advance Research on How Artificial Intelligence Is Changing K–12 Education

Six new studies will generate new evidence on how AI is being used and how to maximize the potential benefits of AI in teaching, learning, and educator decisionmaking in schools

Arlington, Va., Nov. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Institutes for Research (AIR) announced the launch of its AI in Education Network, a new collaborative research effort to study and inform how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming K–12 education. This network is part of a broader set of AIR initiatives to examine how AI impacts education, workforce development, and health.

“As AI becomes part of everyday use in education, schools need more than marketing—they need evidence,” said Jessica Heppen, President and CEO of AIR. “Our goal is to provide clear, credible insights that help educators, school and district leaders, and policymakers make sound decisions about which types of AI-enabled tools to adopt, and which to avoid. This work reflects AIR’s commitment to applying rigorous research to the questions that matter most right now.”

The AI in Education Network brings together AIR researchers working at the intersection of technology, learning, and evidence. Through six coordinated studies, teams will explore how AI is being used to support instruction, assessment, professional learning, and data-driven decisionmaking in schools across the country. 

The selected efforts emerged from a competitive internal review process that prioritized innovative, timely work capable of generating practical insights for the field, and applied research to understand how AI is being used in educational settings and the potential benefits and risks for students and educators.
 

The AI in Education Studies

The studies will begin this year and run through 2027:

• Teaching with AI: Testing the Promise and Empowering Educators
  Led by Rebecca Bergey
  Examines how professional learning can help teachers integrate AI tools responsibly and effectively to enhance instruction.
   
• 3D Learning With ADAPT-AI: Evaluating Human–AI Collaboration in Science Assessment
  Led by Bo Zhu
  Explores how human–AI collaboration in science assessment can improve student engagement and performance in science learning.
   
• AI in the Classroom: Benchmarking and Testbed Framework for Evidence-Based Adoption in K-12
  Led by Ruhan Circi
  Establishes a testbed to evaluate AI tools in real-world K–12 settings, helping schools make data-informed decisions about technology adoption.
   
• Smarter Data, Stronger Schools: AI-Powered Analytics for K–12 Education
  Led by Tammy Kolbe
  Tests how AI can transform district finance and human resources data into reliable insights for staffing, budgeting, and strategic decision-making.
   
• Fair Play or False Start? Using AI-Generated Data to Examine Validity and Measurement Bias
  Led by Sam Rikoon
  Studies whether AI-generated data can be used instead of human responses to assess the quality of survey and assessment items.
   
• Rapid-Cycle Evaluation of CESA 4’s  LIFToFFS Model: Learning Innovations for the Teaching of Future-Focused Students
  Led by Rachel Chamberlain and Linda Galib
  Evaluates how AI-enabled learning tools and educator supports can personalize learning to boost engagement and wellbeing for K-12 students and teachers in rural schools.

The AI in Education Network is led by Rachel Garrett, a managing researcher at AIR, who oversees a team coordinating learning across studies and ensuring findings are shared widely with educators, policymakers, and researchers. She said the network projects will provide early answers to the questions many educators are asking.

“What can AI do well in education, where does it fall short, and how can we make sure it serves students and teachers?” Garrett said. “By linking these projects through a shared learning network, we can move faster, collaborate more effectively, and share insights that help schools and systems make informed decisions.”

Findings and updates from the AI in Education Network will be shared on a rolling basis through briefs, webinars, and practitioner resources on the AIR website.

About AIR 
Established in 1946, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of education, health, and the workforce. With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR has offices across the U.S. and abroad. For more information, visit www.air.org.

Dana Tofig
American Institutes for Research
202-403-6347
dtofig@air.org

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